


a wish fulfilled

by freezerjerky



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, M/M, Sirens, Vampire Hermann Gottlieb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:53:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23495614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freezerjerky/pseuds/freezerjerky
Summary: “I would like to know, just once, what it’s like to walk the world like you do,” Newt remarks when Hermann’s finished his poem.Hermann waits until he’s closed his book and puts it aside, safely away from the tank. He’s been perched on the edge of the tank as he sits, and he lowers himself so he’s standing on the ground proper.“You would like legs,” Hermann states. “But your body is perfectly well equipped as it is, you know. You have complete command of the seas.”“And I’ve got a lifetime to explore them,” Newt explains. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t truly experience a forest or a city or a meadow.”“We could find a way, between the two of us. I could carry you, or we could find something to bring you-”“It’s not the same, Hermann.” Newt hefts a large sigh. “I want to know what it’s like to walk and run and dance.”in which a siren has a wish fulfilled and explores the world with the creature he loves most
Relationships: Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	a wish fulfilled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [feriowind](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feriowind/gifts).



> At the request Ferio for their lovely AU of their vampire Hermann/siren Newt AU- elements of this fic may directly reflect artwork etc of theirs on this AU, but this is done at the request of the original creator! For anyone who is unfamiliar the concept is: vampire H lives in a castle by the sea, encounters a siren N and they are intrigued by each other and fall in love. That's really the only context you need to read this.
> 
> Additional warnings for blood and animal death.

The tanks are nice enough, he has to admit, and give him plenty of room to explore and swim. It’s not as though the majority of his time isn’t spent out in the open sea, where he’s free to do as he chooses. But Newt watches, and he sees, and he wonders. Hermann can move in so many different ways, he can walk or swim or float in the air if he sees fit. Newt’s stuck with the flick of his tail and nothing else.

Hermann has assured him countless times that this doesn’t make him any less beloved. They will do what they must to make their time together as valuable as it can be. This isn’t for Hermann, though, or the feelings they share for each other. This is for Newt’s own curiosity, for the desire he feels to understand the experience of others, of anyone who can walk on land and breathe the air in deep without fear of suffocating. He doesn’t want to change himself, he likes himself well enough as he is, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to know.

He’s leaning on his hands at the top of a tank today, listening quietly as Hermann reads to him. Hermann is, among other things, a romantic, and reads Newt poetry, on occasion, or novels that Newt finds interesting. If he had the opportunity to pick up and read through books, Newt’s not actually sure he would do so, but because this is not an option for him usually, he appreciates the novelty of it. Plus, he loves listening to Hermann’s voice reading words that are so sweet and soft. But a poem about two lovers laying together entwined in a field doesn’t help the mood Newt’s been in. He would like to be entwined in a field or something of the like with Hermann, without worrying about there being a body of water in close proximity.

“I would like to know, just once, what it’s like to walk the world like you do,” Newt remarks when Hermann’s finished his poem.

Hermann waits until he’s closed his book and puts it aside, safely away from the tank. He’s been perched on the edge of the tank as he sits, and he lowers himself so he’s standing on the ground proper.

“You would like legs,” Hermann states. “But your body is perfectly well equipped as it is, you know. You have complete command of the seas.”

“And I’ve got a lifetime to explore them,” Newt explains. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I can’t truly experience a forest or a city or a meadow.”

“We could find a way, between the two of us. I could carry you, or we could find something to bring you-”

“It’s not the same, Hermann.” Newt hefts a large sigh. “I want to know what it’s like to walk and run and dance.”

For a moment, he thinks Hermann may be dropping the subject altogether, as he steps away and moves towards one of his many bookshelves. Instead, it appears that Hermann is looking through a particularly dusty section of books until he finds just the thing he’s looking for. Newt knows it’s what he’s looking for because he makes a noise of pleased surprise before he pulls the book off of the shelf and flips it open.

“What’s that?” Newt asks curiously, gripping the edge of his tank to lift himself up. His tail splashes at the surface in eager anticipation.

“A spellbook,” Hermann answers, a bit too engrossed by the book to answer properly just yet.

“And?”

The book is snapped closed and for a moment Newt thinks it’s warranted nothing at all.

“I know a human. A human mage,” Hermann explains. “He owes me a few favors due to some kindnesses I’ve bestowed upon him and his family. I don’t possess the level of magic needed to do this sort of task, but he is very powerful and it is possible he may be able to grant you what you wish for.”

“Really?”

“I can’t make guarantees, Newt.”

Newt, nonetheless, finds himself smiling as Hermann floats back up towards him. He hovers in front of him for a few moments, as though waiting for something. Newt knows exactly what this something is and leans in to kiss him, it’s nearly chaste and sweet. In time, it melts into something with far, far more teeth. In their defense, they’ve both got many sharp teeth between them.

The mage in question smells like pleasant perfume and looks good natured enough. Newt instinctively has already sized up exactly what he’d promise the man to lure him to his death, but it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll have to. Besides, the promise of familial happiness is a hard thing to fake in a siren song, and it seems like a cruel thing to deprive a man of. Love, perhaps, has made Newt soft, but he doesn’t mind this new, almost human side to him. Almost.

Newt has to keep from laughing when the mage addresses Hermann as “brother” and claps his shoulder. He can see the peeking of Hermann’s fangs properly but the mage isn’t daunted. This man knows Hermann is no threat to him at the moment. It makes sense, after all, Hermann wants something from him, Hermann likely knows this is a valuable ally to keep around, if it’s a man who is powerful enough to do what he claims he can do for Newt. The prospect of what he’s going to do makes Newt dizzy.

Eventually, the mage looks up at Newt where he’s peering at him from the top of the tank. He removes his hat respectfully and gives him a smile.

“You must be the man of the hour,” the mage says. “I’m Tendo, and I’m excited to see what I can do for you today. You’re just as beautiful as Hermann says you are, not that I’ve had any reason to doubt it.”

“That’ll be enough of that,” Hermann snaps and rises to Newt’s level. “We’re going to have to take you out of here while he prepares everything for the spell.”

“You’re telling people I’m beautiful,” Newt teases. At this point, he’s accustomed to being lifted and carried, he simply holds out his arms so Hermann can lift him out of the tank. Hermann’s arms are always sturdy and careful. He lacks warmth, but to be fair, both of them are technically cold blooded creatures, so it’s not exactly something he can fault Hermann for when he’s not offering anything to the contrary.

“You are beautiful,” Hermann whispers. “But that’s not the point. This may be painful, understood?”

“Yes, yes. I can handle pain.” Newt rolls his eyes, but he’s in a much better mood when Hermann’s settling him down on some pillows on the floor. “How long is this going to take?”

“I’m going as quickly as I can, Tendo apologizes. “We have to make sure this is just right, because I don’t want to imagine what will happen to me if you end up with chicken legs or something of the sort.”

“I’ll snap your neck,” Hermann says calmly. “And let Newt eat you.”

“Hermann, I’m cold,” Newt remarks. “Can you find me something?”

“It might be a good idea to put him in some sort of clothing,” Tendo adds. “Since he’ll be more...exposed once the spell is complete.”

Hermann narrows his eyes for a moment at the mage, but steps outside of the room to find something appropriate. He returns with a light cotton shift, designed to go down to about mid calf. Newt’s glad of it, because he can’t imagine what it would be like to have to wear pants after transforming. That seems like hard work, skirts and dresses seem much more his style, though he does appreciate the way Hermann’s legs look in his trousers.

Newt slips the shift over his head and Hermann helps him arrange himself properly. It looks a bit odd over his tail, but he supposes it’ll look just fine when he’s got his legs. He wonders what sort of legs he’ll have- long or short, smooth, hairy, if they’ll be sturdy or delicate. He wonders if he can give requests to the sort of legs he wants. There’s nothing he wants more than to be taller than Hermann, who seems to want nothing more himself than to use his height to his advantage whenever he can.

“Are you comfortable?” Hermann asks, breaking Newt’s reverie and his desire to be taller than Hermann. But only by a fair bit, not completely.

“Does it matter?” Newt responds.

“It always matters if you’re comfortable, you know.”

Despite having an audience, Newt gives Hermann a warm and toothy smile. Of course it’s important to him that Newt is comfortable, as though Newt doesn’t spend most of his time in the depths of the ocean. Things like comfort become irrelevant the deeper down one goes, but here on land he supposes there are different priorities. It makes sense, with everything being warm and soft. The air doesn’t have currents like knives, or at least not that Newt has experienced yet. He suspects this might be a possibility.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Tendo declares, rubbing his hands together. Hermann narrows his eyes at Tendo as he speaks, but doesn’t move to snap his neck or drain him dry. That’s character development for him, honestly. “Step a bit away and let me do my work.”

Hermann hesitates but side steps until he’s far enough that he’s not obstructing a clear view to Newt. There’s a foul smelling paste that Tendo rubs onto Newt’s tail before stepping away, suddenly looking very solemn and serious about the process. It’s often amazing how mundane the process seems. In only a few words, a few mumbled sentences, Newt is suddenly twisting and writhing on the floor. It feels like his tail is burning, it feels like all of him is rearranging from the inside, his body is cracking into pieces. It’s not unspeakable, but it’s unpleasant enough that he shouts. He forgets himself for a moment, and when he comes to Hermann is snarling at Tendo’s throat. 

“Don’t,” Newt warns, but he’s not heard in time. He grips onto the edge of one of the pillows and steadies himself enough to stand. His legs are fairly smooth with fair hair and muscles. The first steps he takes are shaky as he tries to speak again, and in a moment Hermann’s by his side, supporting him. 

“Newt-” Hermann says, tucking aside a strand of Newt’s long hair.

“Legs,” Newt says, and then he’s lifted in the air as Hermann grants him a triumphant smile.

The next moments are a joyful blur, he thinks he might be spinning in the air, and then he’s placed back down on the ground. That’s when he discovers the unfortunate reality that he’s decidedly short. When he’s firm on his feet, Hermann moves away enough to discuss with the other man. Newt hears such words as “two days” and “must be in water by midnight” but mostly he’s too interested in getting used to the feeling of the legs. The firmness is odd, how they seem to stand so straight. He stomps and does a few small jumps, trying out all the feelings of having legs.

Then curiosity gets the best of him and he wonders what the rest of his legs look like, the bits that can’t be seen from under the dress. Settling down on a chair, he lifts the bottom of his shift, revealing his thighs and then up further towards his groin and- oh, he should have thought about this before now.

“Hermann, look!” he declares, eager to show his new addition.

“Newt!” Hermann nearly shouts, all but rushing over to pull the shift down. “Please, not in front of the- er, our guest.”

“It’s just a...what’s the word you like to use? Cock?”

“And you don’t go around showing those to just anyone.”

Newt can see a look of amusement on the face of their guest, who realizes them is time to take his leave. Clearly Newt has a few things to learn before he can go out into the world.

The reaction honestly should have been expected. While Hermann was showing Tendo out of the castle, Newt decided to do some more poking and prodding. Mostly as concerned his cock, which he wants to test in comparison to his previous anatomical addition. Newt’s not used to having something that just hangs like this consistently, his own genitalia have a neat and tidy place but this is...not unwelcome. It’s very similar to Hermann’s, which he’s seen many times, except for some extra skin, which seems completely normal from Newt’s perspective. It’s a perfectly acceptable member.

Hermann clears his throat when he re-enters and Newt looks up at him, holding up the skirt of his shift. Newt gives him a sizable grin.

“Newt, dearest, you have to keep your lower half covered when in the company of others,” Hermann explains. “As you can see, I wear clothing always because it’s considered taboo to reveal that much of your naked body.”

“What about in front of you?” Newt questions.

Somehow, by some mighty and undivine force, a blush rises to Hermann’s cheeks then. Newt’s still not exactly sure how or why a vampire has the need to blush, but it’s not the sort of thing he questions, because he thinks it makes Hermann look very handsome.

“In front of me you should still ask,” Hermann states. “And only in contexts where we know we are alone together.”

“Because humans and others like them associate nudity with sexual intimacy?”

“That is correct, yes.”

All the while, Newt has not given up prodding at his cock, which is showing interest at both the touch and the way Hermann’s looking at him. (And the way Hermann looks so very delectable in his long coat today.)

“Which is something we share,” Newt adds.

“Yes.” Hermann nods. “Yeah, we certainly do.”

Newt’s almost immediately thinking of the logistics of what it would be like to be naked and entwined with Hermann like this. Would the feeling of release still be the same? How would he experience someone else’s body in this body? Is he functionally a human now? There’s much to learn. 

Hermann’s approach is slow, and he almost doesn’t realize he’s on his way to stand beside him, the predatory look on his face. Oh no, Newt doesn’t think of these things because by the time Hermann is near him he thinks how much he wants to experience looking through Hermann’s bookshelf and choosing a book for himself. In that very moment, that act seems more exciting than sex. They can have sex in his normal form, after all. Newt can’t climb Hermann’s ladder to choose a book from the top shelf normally.

The first few hours after the change involve Newt becoming fully acquainted with the functions of his new body and Hermann following closely after him. Every time he moves the library ladder, Hermann moves where he stands so he can watch Newt carefully. Even after several comments about staring up his dress that make Hermann blush, Hermann still only stands at a respectful distance from the ladder.

After this, he guides Newt carefully down and back up some stairs, and on a walk around the edge of the castle. Hermann doesn’t palpably show his nervousness, he’s perfected that stoic and calm exterior a bit too well, but Newt knows all the same that he’s worrying.

Partway through, Newt realizes he’s hungry and insists on eating human food. Normally it would make his stomach turn and now, while it doesn’t fully satisfy him the way tearing into a seal or a large fish would, it seems to satisfy him well enough. He knows that in a few days time, he’ll be back in the water to eat as he chooses, but for now he wants to enjoy some fruits and a dainty cake that Hermann had acquired just in case this was necessary after the experimental change. Hermann watches him eat with rapt attention. Previously, they would eat together as two creatures, at their most primal. This is different, this is something wild watching something with more elegance have a meal.

Never had Newt suspected he could be the more elegant of the two of them, especially given that Hermann dressed like a proper gentleman and spoke like one as well. He finds himself squirming in his chair at the thought of being some sort of prey for Hermann like this, and it’s not an unpleasant sort of squirming. Newt wants to be caught and claimed and part of him wants to be weak enough to be sore the day after. The biggest misfortune of his meal is that Hermann doesn’t ask why he’s blushing so much as he finishes his dessert.

“Is there anything you’d like to see or do?” Hermann asks, leaning in closer.

“I just want to see what people live like. I don’t- if I had weeks I’d ask you to take me somewhere. We’d go on an adventure and see the world, but I know we don’t have the time for that just yet. So I want to experience the world on a smaller scale.”

“I think we can manage that.”

After the meal, Hermann helps Newt into a different set of clothes. At first he thinks he’s being handed a dangerously short shift, but then he realizes he’s being expected to put on a shirt and pants. He protests for a few moments, but then gives in. The greatest surprise of his life comes when he realizes just how comfortable, just how practical these pants are. There’s definitely still an appeal to the dress, but he likes this just as well. The pants are an inch or two too long for Newt, but he rolls them up and almost manages to not look completely like a man in someone else’s clothes. The shoes Hermann insists he wears are too big as well, but Newt manages to walk without tripping more than every five hundred feet or so.

They venture into the nearest town, which is still a few miles away, due to Hermann’s own desire to be isolated by the ocean and the forest and anything that isn’t too human. Newt’s often wanted to ask if this was once Hermann’s village, if he knows these people beyond the pleasantries he manages to give and the fear he seems to earn in return. But he suspects Hermann came from someplace far away, that he’s no longer welcome in the place that was once his home. Newt cannot think of this too long without sadness, so he chooses not to think of it at all. There’s no use dwelling on these sorts of things.

“I never realized there were so many humans,” Newt explains, once they’re sat comfortably on a bench. Newt’s feet have begun to hurt, which Hermann assures him is a normal part of walking. Newt thinks of the cane Hermann uses sometimes, of an old injury Hermann does not talk about because he thinks it makes him weak.

“There are very many of them, yes. You and I are from scarcer species.”

“Imagine, I could start singing right now and then they could all-”

“We are not killing the innocent people, Newt,” Hermann warns. “It’s far too much energy to leave now that I’ve got a good place to live. If you’re going to kill someone, at least don’t do it in public.”

“I’m not actually going to do it, I just think this whole sirens living in the water thing seems like bad planning on our part. I mean, we’d get so many more people on land than in the water.”

“I believe your kind used to often venture closer to land than they do now. But humans have their own cruel ways and it was safer to stay in the deeper waters. That’s your territory and where you have the advantage.”

“Sort of like how you hunt at night. That’s where you’re at your best.”

“It is a rather large effort to hunt in the daytime hours, yes. How are your feet feeling?”

“Better,” Newt half lies. “Why are humans designed like this?”

“Well, I suspect if you had this body always and walked more often, this wouldn’t happen to you.”

“Do you wish I had this body always?” Newt asks, bluntly.

“No,” Hermann answers quickly. “Which is to say, if you’d choose to have this body permanently, I’d love it the same as any other body that housed you. But I do not have a preference, I am not the sort to love a body, but rather a soul.”

“I think my kind is technically considered to be soulless…”

“You understand my intention.”

Newt grins at him and idly tugs at the ribbon they’ve used to tie up his hair. “I do understand your intention. You are saying that you love me regardless of which body I choose and no matter which you prefer, you know it’s my decision how I exist.”

“Are you considering trying to keep it?”

“No, not in the least.” Newt shakes his head. He knows who he is and what he is, and he’s not saying he’d never make this decision, but right now he can’t imagine being far from the sea. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t had his own fantasies of staying like this and asking Hermann to make him like he is, but they have hundreds of years to make that decision. Newt’s young for his kind and Hermann’s lifespan is indefinite. (It’s foolish to call anything immortal, because everything can, will, and should die eventually.)

“But you’re enjoying yourself?”

“Very much, Hermann. Now, I’m going to race you to that tree there.”

“You’re going to what now?” Hermann asks.

There’s no answer given before Newt’s on his feet and jogging off towards a tree at the far end of a square. Hermann wins the race nonetheless, but Newt makes sure to make it amply known that he considers what Hermann’s doing to absolutely be cheating. It doesn’t diminish the exhilaration of a good run and the chemical reactions to it. He wants to throw himself on the grass and lay there until the sky’s turned dark. They don’t, but it feels nice all the same to know this is an option.

That night, they’re both tired enough to curl up into Hermann’s rather large bed. Newt’s tired from existing in a human form and he suspects so much exposure to the sun has exhausted his companion. Before they retire, though, Newt asks Hermann to tie his hair back in a long braid so it doesn’t get in the way while they rest. This is a novelty for them, sleeping through the night together. In the past, Newt’s been able to lie out long enough that he may rest next to Hermann, but they’ve never had the time to indulge in uninterrupted hours of sleep, and not worrying about returning to the water afterwards. Now, there’s time for leisure.

“What would you like to do tomorrow?” Hermann asks, laying on his back. His layers are slipped away for a simple shirt and Newt’s back in his shift dress.

“Spend it entirely with you, of course.” Newt grins. “Maybe poke around in your little lab for a few hours, go for another walk.”

“There’s nothing else you want to explore?”

“We could go to the woods, see some animals. I’d love to watch you hunt in the early morning, if you’re up to it.”

“You want to see that?” Hermann asks, leaning over towards him. “It can be quite brutal.”

“Hermann, I tear into fish to get my meals. I don’t think draining a deer or whatever is more brutal than that, unless I’m very, very wrong.”

Hermann hums softly to himself, the way he does when he’s processing information. Newt loves the way his eyes glow in the moonlight, but he doesn’t dare say anything about it. In the past, he’s been very self conscious about his appearance, and things that he cannot control that make him appear different from humans. Sure, he doesn’t mind revealing his monstrous form when his lover is in danger and he’s able to control it, but saying that his eyes glow at night when he’s trying to sleep is something else entirely different.

Newt, for all he’s enjoying this, misses the parts of him that make him different from humans for a moment. And then he experiences the joy of spending a night wrapped in his lover’s arms.

They awake earlier than Newt likes, so he can watch Hermann hunt. It’s cold in the forest, and the air is still. The sun is not quite up yet, but it’s rising. Newt knows this marks the exact point in which he will return to his original form the next day. He’s made peace with this. What he hasn’t made peace with, or anticipated, is the way his cock throbs when Hermann, blood dripping down his face, looks at him with wide and wanting eyes.

“Come here,” is all Newt says, and his back’s pressed against the tree as Hermann kisses him.

He weaves his arms around Hermann’s neck as he kisses him, smirking softly as the shift he’s wearing slides up. They do little more than rut against each other, base and predatory in their desire for each other. It’s a familiar rhythm, the feeling of their two bodies meeting, and Newt knows that no matter what state they are in, no matter what bodies they possess or what they look like, it’ll always be something he recognizes. But in this instance, there’s a sharp difference, the sensation feels different, as does the slightest pang of discomfort in his legs. Still, he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Newt comes first, as he’s wont to do, and only uses this chance to encourage Hermann, to chant for him to come, to admire him in all his base beauty and the glory of the kill. When they face each other afterwards, both of their faces have blood smeared across their mouths and cheeks. They look animalistic and share a wicked grin, before it is Newt that breaks out into laughter.

“What’s so humorous?” Hermann asks, his expression suddenly cross, and very human.

“Nothing, everything.” Newt smiles at him, places a kiss on his lips. “I’m just happy, and we look ridiculous like this. I’m glad to be part of this.”

“Of me killing and feeding?”

“Of course. I’m glad to be part of anything you do, on the ground, in the sea, up in the air, wherever it may be. That’s where I belong, with you.”

Hermann kisses him again. “We should wash up, I understand you have other things you’d like to do today, and I don’t want you to feel you’ve wasted any time.”

“It’s not wasted. Besides, we can do this again, right?” Newt asks. “There isn’t a limit to how many times.”

“We must be careful with our usage of magic,” Hermann protests, then falters. “But yes, on occasion, we could indulge in this or something similar.”

“Oh?”

“Perhaps I would like to experience what you live through now and then.”

It’s not enough to get him going properly again, but Newt’s heart skips a beat and his cock twitches in interest at the prospect.

Hermann’s had a small lab set up in his basement for many years. He’s used it rarely, until Newt came along. Many days, he’ll act as assistant to Newt’s experiments or ideas, but today Newt wants complete control. He’s still clumsy on his feet at times, so Hermann stays near, but it’s such joy to be able to walk about and do things at his own pace.

He worries that Hermann may be bored of this, him touching everything and prattling on, but when he looks over at his companion, he’s usually staring ahead at him in keen interest, sometimes in his least guarded moments, he even has a soft smile on his face. Newt wonders how many smiles like this he doesn’t get to see, and wonders what price he’d have to pay to ensure that he always gets to see those smiles. He’s not ready for that yet, though, and he knows it. But with each moment of walking and running and flitting back and forth, he feels the date in which he makes a final decision moving closer and closer. That approach, nonetheless, can still be decades away, for all he knows. He can hear, after all, through the window of the castle, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Just as sirens call to lure poor unsuspecting creatures to the ocean, the ocean cries to call them back.

“Does it bore you when you do this for me?” Newt asks, turning back to look at Hermann, who’s standing behind him, leaning on his cane.

“Not particularly, no. Sometimes you ask me when I’m reading or something and I wish I’d have time to finish my chapter, but I understand you have a passion for this.”

“It’s fascinating, learning how things work, making...reactions.”

“It is. It was never my area of interest, but I love that you love it.”

Love is a strong word, and one that, despite feeling, they do not say often. Love is also a very mortal concept, reserved for humans and their like. It’s a fleeting thing, that doesn’t convey fully the way Newt feels, something that’s both dark and light and heavy in his heart all at once. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.

“Are you hungry?” Hermann asks at length. “You haven’t eaten yet today.”

“I am,” Newt answers. This body becomes hungry more easily than his usual body, and craves different things. “Can I have some of the sweets we bought yesterday?”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” 

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Usually, sweets would taste good and then immediately make Newt’s stomach recoil, no matter how much he’d try. It was something he and Hermann could both relate to, in fact. They could not be anything other than what they are, and they were proud of everything they were, and everything they were to each other.

“You could become very ill and spend your last hours like this in pain,” Hermann responds.

“I’m willing to take that risk, I think.”

In the kitchen, Hermann watches intently as Newt eats five small cakes. They are both very sugary and sweet and Newt wishes he could hold the flavor in his mouth always. It doesn’t satisfy a gut craving the way raw flesh does, but it’s better for the spirit, for the lack of soul.

Afterwards, Newt does have to lie down because his stomach hurts, but Hermann reads to him and runs his fingers through his hair, so it’s more than a fair trade-off at the end of the day.

The night melts into something far more amorous. Newt expected this, both from his own wants, and a series of glances being sent his way from Hermann throughout the day. In truth, he almost feels badly that they haven’t gotten around to this until the hours were ticking so low. But Newt did make up for it in enthusiasm, in condensing as much experience into as little of time as possible.

“It feels,” Newt grunts. He’s seated in Hermann’s lap, riding his cock slowly. “Different- but not at the same time from what we’d usually do. Like it’s the same family of pleasure just-”

“Different parts.”

“Way different.” Newt laughs, then gasps, when Hermann thrusts up just right. “I’m not sure if the positioning of everything is more or less convenient.”

“Well some humans biologically have-”

“I’m familiar.” Newt grins and starts to rock harder. They’ve done this in about five different positions already, and Newt’s got some pretty bruises along his hips from being manhandled by a creature with superhuman strength. He wonders if these reminders will stay, or if they’ll vanish with the spell. It’s very difficult to bruise him in his usual form, though it has been done.

He’s brought out of any reverie he may be in when Hermann grabs onto his ass and urges him forward. This is a development he likes very much, both to have something solid and fleshy to grip onto, and Hermann’s reaction to it. Hermann’s own behind is less fleshy, though no less charming, or interesting to Newt.

“You like that,” Newt observes, rolling his hips forward. It’s hard to see in the near dark, but he suspects the nigh impossible red is rising to Hermann’s cheeks. Instead, Hermann buries his face against Newt’s neck. He kisses along his delicate skin, nipping but never biting. Not that the thought of Hermann biting him isn’t sexy, but past attempts have revealed that Hermann is highly averse to the taste of his blood- better to stick to humans and other creatures that are warm blooded. Though he wonders- “Hey, is my blood- is my blood different?”

Hermann looks up at him, eyes wide. “It smells different, but I don’t know if you’d want to be bit in this condition-”

“Shit, Hermann. I want it.” He rubs his cock against Hermann’s bare belly. “You ate this morning, so I know you won’t take it too far. I want you to taste me.”

There’s no hesitation, once he’s granted the permission, Hermann bites down on Newt’s neck, drinking deep. Newt cries out in pain as he comes against Hermann’s stomach, not touched by hand. Moments later, he feels Hermann spill deep inside of him and everything is deliciously red. It’s the same thrill Newt has after a fresh kill, because even though he’s the one who’s being bitten, he knows he’s in control.

Hermann pulls away slowly, giving a worried look. Newt can only smile at him and use his thumb to wipe away at the blood on his mouth. Curious, he sticks the thumb in his mouth and sucks on it. The taste is like coins, somewhere between unpleasant and tempting. In the pit of his stomach, there’s still that desire and temptation to dig deep into anything that bleeds. 

“Don’t do that, or I’ll never stop,” Hermann half groans, slumping his forehead against Newt’s shoulder.

“The drinking or the fucking?”

“Both, dearest.” Hermann presses a kiss to his shoulder. “And I think you’d let me.”

“Not the drinking. I value my own life, and the prospect of many more years with you far too much. Was that good?”

“Very. They say it tastes best when it’s from someone you lo- well, you know.”

“Someone you love.” Newt kisses Hermann’s forehead and disentangles himself enough to stand and move to clean himself off. Morning will be coming before too long, and he doesn’t know if he’s capable of continuing before he collapses in exhaustion.

When he’s washed up and feeling more presentable, Newt bundles himself up in one of Hermann’s robes and joins him on the balcony. A true dramatic (romantic, as Hermann insists), Hermann houses himself in a high tower in his haunt. He can always look out and see the ocean, and it looks beautiful. Newt can see the sun threatening its approach on the horizon, but not yet. The moon still hangs in the sky.

Hermann’s dressed himself again, as he’s wont to do. Despite the intimacy they share, there’s always a barrier he puts between himself and the world. This may take decades longer to tear down for the world.

“Do you see that precise spot out there?” Hermann points out to the sea and Newt nods in agreement. “That’s the place I first saw you, swimming out in the ocean. I was so angry that you were watching me, and felt myself drawn to you.”

“I was curious,” Newt responds. “By the castle by the sea, that looked like it would crumble to pieces, and that carried such a dark energy. And a loneliness, I thought maybe there was something to be learned.”

“And now?”

“There’s much to be learned and a good deal less loneliness, and I will take credit for all of that.”

“The credit is yours.” Hermann grins at him. “Have you achieved everything you wanted to do in this time?”

“I have.” Newt can find no complaints about this adventure, only the tiny pang of regret that he wishes he had more time.

“There is one thing you asked for that we did not do.”

“Hmm?”

Instead of speaking, Hermann extends his hand, holds it out in an invitation to dance. Between what Newt suspects are decades or more without Hermann dancing and the fact that Newt is not a man with rhythm, they take a few moments to fall into something proper. Hermann hums under his breath, a tune that Newt doesn’t know. But he doesn’t falter and Newt knows in that moment that this is a very familiar song, something he cherishes deeply in his heart. He closes his eyes and sways to the music, held in the cold but comforting arms of his lovers.

This, he thinks, is what he wants for all of his long life, this feeling. It doesn’t matter what he looks like or what he eats or where he sleeps, simply that he feels like this. Newt suspects this is the closest thing to having a proper soul, and for a moment he doubts all of the things he’s been told about himself and his own kind since he was a child. But there’s no refuting facts, and there’s no fighting either darkness or daylight.

When he opens his eyes, he feels a chill in the air. They’ve floated, together, just above the balcony. Hermann’s smile, in a rare turn of events, turns into something jubilant and joyful. He’s floated with Hermann before, but never quite like this. He feels light as a feather, and supported as they dance on the air. It’s impossible, he thinks, to have a more perfect moment than this one, even if he lives for many centuries more.

“Thank you for the last two days, entertaining my every whim,” Newt says softly. “Just having this experience is more than anyone of my kind can own to.”

“Anything for you. And I do mean it. I could have the mage called immediately to-”

“No, no.” Newt looks out to the sea as they float down to the solid floor. “I need to- I need to go back. One day, perhaps not as far as I had assumed- one day I will come here and stay for good. You understand? But today is not the day for that. So I ask that you’re patient to me.”

Gently, Hermann lifts one of Newt’s hands to his mouth and kisses it. “I understand and I will wait, we have centuries, after all. Perhaps longer.”

Newt leans up, because he must lean up, and presses a kiss to Hermann’s mouth. They both melt into it and for a moment he doubts his resolution to return, but that moment passes when the breeze brings in the smell of the ocean. His body is singing to return.

“Next time, perhaps,” Newt says lightly when he pulls away, “your mage can make me less short.”

They share a laugh at that.

Their final walk is shared hand in hand, both barefoot along the beach, Newt’s wearing only one of Hermann’s capes, for the easy of slipping into nothing. The sun threatens its approach with each moment and in a moment of displeasure, Hermann hisses at it. Newt can only laugh and kiss his beloved’s cheek. When he pulls away from the kiss, he feels his own teeth, sharp and prodding.

“Swim with me?” Newt asks, shifting out of the cape and leaving it along the seashore.

They both wordlessly wade into the water together, keeping each other afloat. Newt realizes that he doesn’t actually know how to swim as a human and treads water for a few moments. He fears they will both drown, but then he feels the pain again, the glorious pain. It’s horrific at moments, and then as soon as the pain started, his body is right again. The tail feels unwieldly, far too long and unnecessary until he remembers the rhythm and flow. He is part of the ocean, part of the deepest and murkiest parts of the sea. And he is loved for it, lucky creature.

He clings for a few long moments to Hermann. Whenever he’s in the water with him, and in this moment, he feels the urge to drag him under. It’s a brief urge and one he would never indulge in, but he wants to take everything he loves into his trove, bring everything to part of his collection. Even if Hermann would only sink, even if he could survive, there is little for him to eat, and there would be no joy in that life. The ocean is one of the bleakest places and full of great terrors that few creatures are equipped to manage.

“My dearest,” Hermann says softly. “Here is where we part, but tell me you will come back soon, I will be waiting for you.”

“Less than a week,” Newt insists. “Only a few days. I’ll come and wait for you in precisely the spot you first found me, and then I’ll stay with you for a day.”

“Like you are now?”

“Yes, in this body you’ve fallen in love with.”

“It is not the body, as you well know.”

The tide is rolling in too heavily for them to linger much longer ,but they take the moment to enjoy each other and share one final parting kiss. For now.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Find me at twitter @ newtguzzler


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